Better East Texas: Breaking the cycle of hate

It was impossible to miss the events in Virginia, where a street brawl broke out as a result of a Confederate monument being removed by the local government. And then we all saw the attack on the protestors when a car was driven through the group, killing one person.

Since then, more monuments and statues of confederate leaders have been removed across the nation, and some have been illegally destroyed and more protest marches are planned. It is difficult to see these events taking place in our country.

There is a legal process for every city and state to go through to consider removing monuments and statues, and no doubt, more will go through that process. But removing a monument will not change feelings on either side of this argument. Nelson Mandela, wrote – and I quote – “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite."

People are taught to hate. Not from a textbook or a statue, but from a person that influences their life. Until that cycle is broken, hate groups will have a foothold in America. We cannot change the past and we don’t need to live in the past, we can only affect the now and our future. Violence and hate should have no part in those actions no matter who you are.